Child loses fingers after pipe bomb explosion

The Evening Herald reports a young boy had a number of fingers blown off by a pipe bomb this morning in Newtownmountkennedy.

Five-year-old PJ Duffy was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after the bomb
blew up in his hands.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after the blast at around 8.30am.

“A child has been injured by what is believed to be a pipe bomb and has been rushed to hospital for urgent medical attention,” a source explained.

Gardai had last month warned about the growing spate of pipe bomb attacks,
with the lethal devices on sale for a little as €100.

Gardai rushed to the scene after getting reports that a device had exploded.

There was a pool of blood on the doorstep where the boy was believed to have picked up the pipe bomb.

It is understood the little lad lost a number of fingers on one hand when the highly
volatile and crudely made explosive device went off in his hand.

Sources say that the little boy’s family were not the intended targets of the pipe bomb.

Locals gathered in groups behind the cordon tape talking amongst themselves.

They said they were asleep when the incident happened and did not know any details.

Local shop and post office owner Robert Nolan said it was a “dreadful” incident and “frightening when you don’t know what the details are”.

This is the second pipe bomb incident in the estate in less than a year.

In September, about 30 houses were evacuated when a pipe bomb was discovered outside a house.

An army bomb disposal team was called to the address at Sycamore Drive in by gardai on that occasion.

Latest figures reveal that defence forces have dealt with 41 viable devices – the vast majority of them pipe bombs – since the start of the year when responding to almost 100 calls from gardai across the country.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Bray Garda station on 01 666 5300.